


It's Hard To Be Brave When You're Alone In The Dark

by RK97



Series: Now Don't Lose Your Fight, Kid [3]
Category: CrankGameplays - Fandom, Unus Annus - Fandom, Video Blogging RPF, markiplier - Fandom
Genre: Brotp, Comfort, Dreams and Nightmares, Explicit Language, Fluff, Hot Chocolate, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, Platonic Male/Male Relationships, Platonic Relationships, Queerplatonic Relationships, References to Depression, marks good at comforting, ooh the classic they share a bed trope, they're soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:03:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26490859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RK97/pseuds/RK97
Summary: Ethan waited for Mark to turn around to go back to his room, after all he was okay, just a baddreamnightmare, Mark didn’t have to hang around, he wasn't scared, he could probably fall back asleep.Maybe.Mark cocked his head as if he heard Ethan’s thoughts “Do you want some tea?”Ethan looked at Mark confusedly “What? Tea?”Mark chuckled “Yeah, tea. It might help you feel better, I usually make one when I have a bad dream”-or-Ethan has a nightmare, Mark's there to comfort him.
Relationships: Mark Fischbach & Ethan Nestor
Series: Now Don't Lose Your Fight, Kid [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1867348
Comments: 7
Kudos: 200





	It's Hard To Be Brave When You're Alone In The Dark

**Author's Note:**

> hi yah! damn another update already? who is she? Before you read this, it is a part of a series! it can be read as a stand alone but if you want a little more context check out part one!
> 
> Enjoy!

On the good days Ethan tried to stay out of his room as much as possible, _funny how it had only been three weeks and he was already referring to Mark’s spare bedroom as his own_. Mark would find him in the living room, Spencer and Chica curled up on either side of him. His eyes glued to his Nintendo switch, tongue sticking out in concentration. On the bad days Ethan would stay in his room, Mark would check in on him occasionally throughout the day, bringing him a snack or water, or something to cheer him up. 

_(Marks list of What Makes Ethan Happy? so far included _

  1. _any dog videos_
  2. _food that looked like celebrities_
  3. _old cameras_
  4. _planes_
  5. _and_ _1978 Camaro's_



For someone who spent a lot of time in bed on the bad days, Ethan sure had a hell of a time trying to sleep at night. He kept having this terrible reoccurring nightmare. A dark ominous being would be standing there. ( _Ethan could never make out what the figure was, he just knew it was bad news)_ A sick feeling would settle in his stomach, his mind screaming ~~**RUN**~~. As soon as he turned, it would chase him. The more he ran, the more it caught up to him, his lungs would burn and his legs would turn to rubber, but he had to run, he had to get away. He couldn't let it catch him.

The ominous figure was gaining fast on him now, bony claws started to grasp the back of his hoodie. Ethan tried running faster but he had no energy left, it was going to overtake him, it was going to overtake him _itwasgoingtoovertakehim_ -

He shot up in bed clutching his chest, sputtering. He gasped for breath trying to calm his racing heart down. _Fuck_

He saw a light flick on in the hallway and heard hurried footsteps

“Ethan, Ethan you okay?” Mark called out worriedly.

Ethan shook his head no even though Mark was still halfway down the hall, realizing he called out shakily “N-no , well yeah, it was a bad dream, I’m okay”

Mark entered the room, his eyes softened at the sight before him. Ethan was slightly shaking, blankets half torn off the bed, Spencer pushed up against him to give him comfort. Tear tracks stained his face, his eyes looked dark and sunken in.

Mark crossed his arms “Looks more like a nightmare Eth, you’re crying”

Ethan put a hand up to his face, surprised when he felt wetness, he pulled his hand away and rubbed the tear between his finger and thumb.

He looked up at Mark “I-I guess it was an awful nightmare” 

Ethan waited for Mark to turn around to go back to his room, after all he was okay, just a bad ~~dream~~ nightmare, Mark didn’t have to hang around, he wasn't scared, he could _probably_ fall back asleep.

Maybe.

Mark cocked his head as if he heard Ethan’s thoughts “Do you want some tea?”

Ethan looked at Mark confusedly “What? Tea?”

Mark chuckled “Yeah, tea. It might help you feel better, I usually make one when I have a bad dream”

Ethan gave Mark a sheepish look “Do-“ Ethan stopped, not wanting to impose on Mark, he did suggest _tea_ but… “Do you have any hot chocolate?”

Mark smiled “Sure do”

“with mini marshmallows?!” Ethan asked excitedly

“Now you’re pushing it’ Mark joked, mentally adding _huge bag of mini marshmallows_ to his shopping list.

“C’mon, let’s get some hot choccy” Mark motioned for Ethan to come along.

Ethan already forgetting the nightmare, happily obliged.

* * *

it became a regular thing, if Ethan had a bad dream, he would call out asking Mark if he was awake, Mark would be instantly be there at the door frame, asking if he wanted hot chocolate.( Ethan would always ask for mini-marshmallows.)They would sit together, sipping on their drinks (Mark would make tea for himself) until Ethan was calmed enough to fall back asleep again.

Ethan’s nightmares became so frequent one week Mark debated putting a fucking kettle in his room so he could get back to Ethan faster. He hated how long it took waiting for the water to boil downstairs, he couldn't hear Ethan either, it bothered him, at least if he was upstairs he could hear him. _There was a reason why he started sleeping with his door open in the first place._

He picked up a bottle of melatonin for Ethan to see if it would help after reading different comments about it on amazon saying it helped people with bad dreams.

luckily for Ethan, the melotonin seemed to do the trick, the nightmares subsided, and the kettle stayed dormant in Marks amazon shopping cart, slightly forgotten about.

* * *

Mark stretched, standing up from his chair. He stopped when he heard the satisfying crack from his shoulder blades. He had been filming main channel videos all day and then had done a charity stream, it had turned out great and he had raised a hefty amount of donation money. He had done an early morning workout too, and with how much energy he had pumped out during the stream he was exhausted. Mark crawled into his bed, relaxing into the soft mattress, as soon as his head hit the pillow, he was out.

“Help, please HELP PLEASE HELP” Marks eyes flew open, he checked his watch **3:06am**. _what was going on?_

“PLEASE HELP, HELP MARK” came a strangled voice down the hallway. Ethan sounded hurt and in pain, _and scared_.

Mark didn’t think a human body was capable of moving as fast as he did, he didn’t feel his feet touch the floor getting out of bed, he was already in Ethan’s room, baseball bat in hand ready to beat the ever-living-shit out of whoever was causing Ethan distress.

Ethan’s eyes were squeezed shut tightly, his grip on the comforter was causing veins in his arms to bulge out, his shoulders were tensed and turned inwards. He screamed again, loudly. Startling Mark, Ethan thrashed around in his bed, letting out another scream, ‘please Mark come help’, tears streamed down Ethan’s face.

Mark stood mouth agape, he had never seen Ethan having a nightmare, it was always after he had woken up. The look of utter pain on Ethan’s face was heartbreaking.

“Ethan, hey Ethan wake up! Hey!!” Mark gently put a hand on Ethan’s shoulder, lightly shaking him.

"it’s okay, you’re having a bad dream, you’re safe, everything’s okay” Slowly, the thrashing stopped, Ethan opened his eyes.

“There ya are bud” Mark smiled warmly at him. Ethan flinched back, scrambling backwards until his back touched the wall.

Mark looked taken aback. “Mark” Ethan coughed out, voice hoarse from screaming “why do you have a bat?”

Mark looked down, realizing he still had the Louisville slugger in his hands, he set it against the dresser.

“You were screaming for help, I thought someone might be in here, didn’t wanna take any chances y’know” Mark shrugged. 

Ethan nodded, tears continuously streaming down his face. He kept a safe distance from Mark rocking nervously back and forth without realizing he was doing it.

Mark sat down on the bed, a fair distance away from Ethan, he didn’t want to crowd him, waiting patiently for whenever Ethan was ready to speak.

“Do you want me to go make some hot chocolate?” Mark asked, Ethan shook his head no. Mark nodded in understanding. he sat patiently, He wasn’t leaving Ethan alone, not after that ordeal. Mark lost track of how long they had been sitting when he yawned. Ethan took that as cue that Mark was bored.

“Mark you can go to bed! I’m fine” Ethan waved his arms around trying to shoo Mark away “don’t stay up because of me, I can fall back asleep and-“ Mark held his hand out flat, palm facing up, Ethan looked at it then at Mark curiously. He took it.

Mark pulled him up out of bed. “Listen, I’m tired, you’re tired, and we both know if you go back to bed you’re gonna have another nightmare, so here’s my proposition, this bed is only a double, mine is a queen. I’m not leaving you alone again after that, so sleep in my bed tonight so I can keep an eye on you”

Ethan shook his head, hands flapping “but where are you gonna sleep!!”

Mark raised an eyebrow slightly “In my bed?”

Ethan felt heat start to creep up his neck. “Mark, I can’t ask you to do that, besides that’s only for couples and stuff, friends don’t share beds, it’s not-it’s not normal”

“Fuck normal! friends can share beds Eth, it’s fine. If it makes you more comfortable you can stay here-“ Mark said shrugging

“NO- I mean, I just want you to be okay with it Mark” Ethan scratched the back of his neck, head tilted down.

“Well, if I wasn’t, I wouldn’t have suggested it” Mark simply stated.

Ethan nodded, as if to himself. “Okay” he said quietly as Mark led him down the hall to his room.

“Here, you can use this blanket” Mark said, tossing him a throw from the foot of the bed.

“It’s so fluffy!” Ethan said happily running his hands over it as he situated himself on Marks bed.

Mark glanced over “mhm, it’s like this crazy soft fibre or something from Korea” He fluffed his pillow out before laying back down. 

"it's really nice" Ethan said tucking the blanket around himself.

“Try not to roll over on me ‘kay?” Mark teased over his shoulder as he pulled his comforter up over him.

“I’ll try not to, no promises” Ethan inwardly panicked at the thought, praying he wouldn't roll over on Mark, or worse accidentally kick him or something.

Mark grunted in response before he turned out the light. It wasn’t very long before Mark fell asleep, it took Ethan a bit longer, a little bit of anxiety over not wanting to hog the wrong blanket or roll over to closely keeping him up, but slowly Ethan drifted off to sleep.

It was the first time he slept soundly in months.

.

.

.

Mark finally ordered the damn kettle

.

.

.

and another huge bag of mini marshmallows.

**Author's Note:**

> idk why i find bad dream/comfort fics so much but i fuckin do.
> 
> i usually try and title my fic after a song lyric, i tried searching song lyrics with hot chocolate and got the song from polar express, so now thats stuck in my head (time to play monster mash on repeat, it is fall afterall!)
> 
> anyhoo thank you for reading! leave a kudos and a comment if you enjoyed!  
> i might do a Halloween themed fic next, (carving pumpkins maybe??)
> 
> oh and any prompts or suggestions are always welcome!


End file.
